Brassiere



Aug. 24, 1965 c. M. SACHS ETAL BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1964 INVENTORS CHARLES M. SACHS EDWARD JA/V/V/GELLlJ/V. BY M f ATTORNEY Aug. 24, 1965 Q s cl-ls 3,202,153

BRASSIERE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 3, 1964 4/ INVENTOR. CHARLES M. SACHS EDWARD JAN/V/CELLI, JR.

BY W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,202,153 BRAS'SIERE Charles M. Eachs, Fort Lee, and Edward Jannicelli, .lr.,

Ramsey, NJ., assignors to International Latex Corporation, Playtex Park, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 349,072 6 Claims. (Cl.-1284'83) This invention is a new and novel brassiere construction and concerns a novel arrangement of the front sec tion whereby the brassiere is particularly adapted to permit freedom of movement while properly supporting the breasts. A e

In prior brassiere constructions where the right and left pockets are connected by crossed members, the pockets have been so joined that movement of one breast pocket impaired the comfort and fit of the other. Such constructions resulted in unbalanced response to imposed stresses.

The present invention embodies the features of shaped breast pockets in a brassiere where the front section has a pair of crossed bands connected to each cup in a unique manner, which'construction results in a brassiere Where imposed forces are distributed in such a way as not to impair the comfort and fit of the garment.

This and other results are accomplished by the provision of a pair of stretchable or elastic cradle bands cut in a particular fashion and incorporated'in the brassiere in a particular location. Each cradle band has two arms, an upper and a lower, attached to both the upper and lower margins of the cups. The elastic characteristics of the cradle band allow it to stretch in direct response to a force imposed upon a shoulder strap and the attaching arrangement to the cups allows the cup nearest the imposed force to move in response thereto to a greater degree than the far cup and to pivot or rock about the center of the brassiere. Each cup is cradled by the arms of each band whereby the simultaneous stretching and rocking or pivoting of the cradle band minimize riding up and displacement of the far cup. The cradle bands are attached to both the top and bottom margins of the cups and distribute the imposed forces to and along the top and bottom of each cup so that distortion of the cup shape is minimized.

The invention will be more specifically described in the following drawings which illustrate a preferred embodi ment of the invention, it being understood that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration and not by Way of limitation, in which drawings:

FIGURE 1 shows a front plan view of a brassiere embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a plan View of one cradle band showing a fold line of the upper arm; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of two cradle bands in overlapping relation.

In FIGURE 1 the brassiere comprises right and left cups It) and 11 made of any conventional fabric which may be embroidered or otherwise decorated with an ornamental pattern. The terms right and left refer to the parts of the brassiere when viewed by the wearer. The cups have horizontal mid-line seams 12 and 13 respectively which tend to converge toward each other in the center of the brassiere. The right cup Ill has an upper inner margin 14, a bottom margin 15, and an outer margin 16; left cup 11 similarly has an upper inner margin 17, a bottom margin 18 and an outer margin 19.

Attached to the top of each cup are straps 20 secured 3,2Z,l53 Patented Aug. 24, 19 165 by buckles 21 to loops 22. The rearward ends of the straps are attached to back sections 23 and 24 by short sections of elastic tape 25. The rear portion of back section 23 is connected to a strip of elastic fabric 26 carrying a row of hooks 27 engageable with the eyes 28 carried upon elastic fabric 29 which is in turn connected to the rear end of back section 24.

Positioned in the center of the brassiere are two cradle bands 30 and 31. As may be seen from FIGURE 4, cradle band 30 has two arms, an upper and a lower, with extensions A, B, C and D. The upper arm may be made as shown with fold line 32 about which the fabric is folded to give the upper arm the silhouette shown in FIGURE 5. It is to be understood that it may be made of a single layer of cloth, however. The extension A is attached as by sewing along edge 33 to the upper inner margin 14 of right cup 10 and extension B is sewn along edge 34 to the bottom margin 15 of right cup 10. Extension C is sewn along edge 35 to the upper inner margin 17 of left cup 11 and extension Di is sewn along edge 36 to the bottom margin 1% of left cup 11. Edge 37 is sewn to the back section 24 along vertical margin 19. Edges 38 and 39 are free. Extensions A and C are attached to theupper portions of the cups and extensions B and D are attached to the lower portions of the cups. It is to be noted that extensions A and B of the cradle band 30 are attached to right cup It and extensions C and D are attached to left cup 11. The cups are thus held within the arms of the cradle band 3% and are able toadjust the shoulder strap pulls by virtue of the stretching action of the band and its rocking or pivoting action. The cradle bands are free of each other except where they are sewn along their edges to the cup margins and are capable of independent movement.

Cradle band 31 has reversely corresponding extensions E and G and extensions F and H attached in a reversely 7 corresponding fashion to cups 10 and 11.

Each cradle band 36 and 31 is advantageously made of one-way elastic fabric, preferably cut on the straight so that the direction of greatest stretch is parallel to the top free edge as indicated by the stretch arrows 4t), 41, 42 and 43 in FIGURE 5. In general the brassiere embodies a balanced construction which is able to stretch and pivot at the same time in response to imposed forces. For example, a pull on the right shoulder strap tends to pull the right cup upwardly because of its attachment to extensions A and B of cradle band 30. Part of the force is transmitted to left cup 11 because of its attachment to extensions C and D and there results a stretching of the cradle band 39 in the direction of the arrow 40. The right cup moves upwardly and also pivots about the center of the brassiere. The pull by the right shoulder strap thus results in a simultaneous pulling and pivoting action which allows the right cup to adjust to the imposed force to a greater degree than the left cup so that the position of the two cups relative to each other and to the skin of the wearer is maintained to a very great extent. The up- Ward movement of the right cup is minimized by the resistanct offered by the left cup so that riding up of the brassiere is lessened. Reversely corresponding action on the cups occurs when the left shoulder is raised. Distortion of the cups is minimized since the imposed shoulder strap pull is applied to both the top and bottom margins of the cups rather than to one margin only.

The free top and bottom edges of the elastic bands cause the brassiere to conform closely to the body of the wearer.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed below.

We claim:

1. A brassiere embodying right and left breast pockets, a pair of crossed cradle bands made of stretchable fabric connecting the two pockets, one cradle band having a first edge connected to the inner margin of the right pocket and terminating near the top of the right pocket, a second edge extending freely from approximately the top of the right pocket down to the upper inner margin of the left breast pocket, a third edgeconnected to and along the upper inner margin of the left pocket and extending downwardly along and connected to the bottom margin of the left pocket, and a fourth edge constituting the bottom of the brassiere extending freely from below the bottom margin of the left pocket across the center of the brassiere tobelow' the right pocket, the other cradle band being reversely corresponding, the free bottom edges of the cradle bands crossing each other at a slight angle, and back bands connected to the pockets and adapted to hold the brassiere on the body of the wearer, the said cradle bands being capable of stretching and pivoting simultaneously.

2. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein each cradle band is made of one-way stretch fabric.

' 3. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein each cradle band is made of one-way stretch fabric having maximum elasticity in a direction parallel to the free edge of the said first upper arm.

4. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein each cradle band is made of a unitary piece of elastic fabric.

7 5. A brassiere according to claim 1 wherein each cradle band has a fifth edge connecting the ends of the third and fourth edges and being secured to the front edge of a 7 back band.

6. A brassiere comprising a pair of breast cups, a right cup secured to the front edge of a right back section, a left cup secured to the front edge of a left back section, means for holding the brassiere in position on the wearer, and a pair of crossed cradle bands made of unitary pieces of elastic fabric disposed in overlapping relation in the center of the brassiere, one cradle band having a first extension secured to a portion of the upper inner margin of the left breast cup, a second extension secured to the upper inner margin of the right breast cup from approximately the top of the cup to about the horizontal midpoint of the cup, a third extension secured to a portion of the lower inner margin of the right cup, a fourth extension secured to the bottom margin of the left cup and to the front edge of the left back section, the cradle band having a free top edge extending from approximately the top of the right cup to the upper inner margin of the left cup and a free bottom edge extending from the bottom margin of the right cup across the front of the brassiere to the front edge of the left back section, the second cradle band being reversely corresponding, each cradle band having maximum elasticity in a direction parallel to its free top edge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,703,886 3/55 L0 Cascio 128-483 2,746,053 5/56 Krieger 128-498 2,897,822 8/59 Amyot 128-483 FOREIGN PATENTS 533,728 12/54 Belgium.

ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A BRASSIERE EMBODYING RIGHT AND LEFT BREAST POCKETS, A PAIR OF CROSSED CRADLE BANDS MADE OF STRECTHABLE FABRIC CONNECTING THE TWO POCKETS, ONE CRADLE BAND HAVING A FIRST EDGE CONNECTED TO THE INNER MARGIN OF THE RIGHT POCKET AND TERMINATING NEAR THE TOP OF THE RIGHT POCKET, A SECOND EDGE EXTENDING FREELY FROM APPROXIMATELY THE TOP OF THE RIGHT POCKET DOWN TO THE UPPER INNER MARGIN OF THE LEFT BREAST POCKET, A THIRD EDGE CONNECTED TO AND ALONG THE UPPER INNER MARGIN OF THE LEFT POCKET AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ALONG AND CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM MARGIN OF THE LEFT POCKET, AND A FOURTH EDGE CONSTITUTING THE BOTTOM OF LEFT BRASSIERE EXTENDING FREELY FROM BELOW THE BOTTOM MARGIN TO THE LEFT POCKET ACROSS THE CENTER OF THE BRASSIERE TO BELOW THE RIGHT POCKET, THE OTHER CRADLE BAND BEING REVERSELY CORRESPONDING, THE FREE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE CRADLE BANDS CROSSING EACH OTHER AT A SLIGHT ANGLE, AND BACK BANDS CONNECTED TO THE POCKETS AND ADAPTED TO HOLD THE BRASSIERE ON THE BODY OF THE WEARER, THE SAID CRADLE BANDS BEING CAPABLE OF STRETCHING AND PIVOTING SIMULTANEOUSLY. 